Coupler



July 27, 1943. r T- W PAUL 2,325,271

COUPLER Filed May 8, 1941 TVT-1 /0 23 J ZZ ua 5? 20 252/ 5;/55 5.5 y J9 57 F je u v2 A J5 H 4 52 57 50 7mm/er W PAUL INVENTOR. 4 -56 Patented July 27, 1943 connectedto i iventionwill be apparent tothos *Y l art after a consideration .of 'the following descrip-y tion in which 'referenceishad .tiihddrawing device embodying they I* *UNITED The present applicationrelates generally couplers and more particularly to couplers ofthe type adaptedfor quickly coupling, anduncouvpling a' pair of hoses used for vcionductiri'gf,uid. Although I do not o ited to any particular embodiment or application,

intend myinventionto 'be llirnthe principal object of my invention is to provide a means for releasably connecting fluidlconduits on a pair of .coupled mobilevunits, such as for' example, .a tractor having a hydraulicA power lift mechanism, with a hydraulic lifting ,cyiindeilloii'gai j .drawnimplement, such as a plow. Some' agricul a unitary exible hose, for"the reasonthat Ivlheny,f2-5t' the plow is released from the tractor, the hose A vwould probably be broken ,and the oil or other liquid used as the power transmittingmedium would be discharged upony the ground. gTherefore, it is a more specicobjectof my invention; to provide a couplingy device which will automati- "cally separate when they mobile units, such as. the tractorand plow, are. separated vand whichisprovided with valve means vfor automaticallyglosing the separatedA ends pf the Yiiuid 'In the accomplishmenty o f -theseuobjectsl hA r ve provided apair. of cooperable .coupling members,

kwhich can be coupled together by a relativeangular movement of appreciably y '.grees so that when the mobile units arellseparated,

less .than 189; de-

the Vcoupling units v are readily` uncoupled1. A `l`E :Vach ,ofU the couplers is provided with a normally closed Yvalve member, the valve'members having interensginsparts Whnihe couplersareoupledito- ",gether, to hold theV two valyesopenybut, v vhich l'are provided with springs for ,qlilkly ClOlfg 1311 valves when the c ouplersare separated.,

These and other objects andadvantagesoffmy y appended hereto,v in which I y Figure 1 is a side elevational view oi a-coupling CendilitSi-tc pre1v vent discharge of the iiuid contained there e Skilled,inthey 1l f f-CcmpanmMolinaill.; a po prima 'ir/rays, ieiigseifiaiisa; 392,453

invention'shown in a coupled f 'DQSGOD-QCOBHQY- y ingaI pair of-hosesr depending from-Wa pai-rfof `'coupledfmoloile units; y

-`Figure 2 is a top pl'anfview of the coupling f device, taken along,rl

''Figuref-B' is an elevational lView partly in sect-ion, "showing `the details i' plingy device; the latter being;` shown f in a coupled position; and

fo-f construction of the coufFig'urellis' a sectional View taken Valong aline 5lteferringhowto the drawing,th'e two mobile i' u'n'itssuch as,Y Vfor example, ya vtractor. and atrail-` ing-implement,arerepresentedby a'pair of frame members- I 0, I I trailer I0, II Care y i by"an-y. suitablerdraft device (not shown) and` each ofVy the mobile unitsgis provided with a Ahyrespectively. The Vtractor" and detachablyv connected together Whichis -the subject of the present invention. A -pair of flexible tractor and trailer Y khoses I2, I3 are mounted onthe IIJ,` I'I, respectively, and are i connected in communication `with the'iiuid conduits on Veach ofthe yunits,.respectively. yThe flexible hoses I2, I3 hang substantially vvertically between the two coupled units I 0, I I and the lower Aends of the hoses I2y `I3 :.incommunication vwith each other bymeans of 1a' pair .of interengageable ffii/'E15'.

,. v:Each of theicouplers- I4,

erally: cylindrical casing vI 6, fare disposed valve .chambers couplers Ill, I5, respec- I5. comprisesY a Algen- I"I, Within which I8, `I9. The Casl.ings I 6, .II are -disposed in arjsubst'antiallyihorithreaded necks Zontal position. and.v have upwardly extending are secu-red*v bysuitableffttings122, 523, respectively. `,Eaclfi of the -necks- 2l),y 2l with Ya vertically `extending duct .405

. I8, I9` is inthe formhof a cylindrical bore-exiis' provided 2li',- 25- disposed in communicationw'ith the valve chambers I 8, I9; respectively. Each ofI the4 valve chambers tending inwardly `from thefouterfendofthe coupler and having. an inwardlyl tapering-valvelseat .end of each of the portion .30, 3l and intercominunicating openings 128,y 29j ofreduced diameter adjacent the? inner couplers-I Il; .JI 5 re -Aupair ofy poppet` valves `32y3131a normally seated in the seats 30, 3 I, respectively-fiorclosing "valvevvchambers y l valves ;3 2; 3,3 `is -riidly-,mounted on 'aisteinllv 35,

prncibles, I Of-lille.; riecht 652 respectively, ,W4 'C the, communicating openings =betweenifthef'two I8, I9. .Each-of the Apoppet hi h.; extends outwardly ytherefrom and is*v slida y-suPP/Orted-iatits .outer end ,in asuitab1f`, ...ed plus ,member are-'detachably coupled spectively,`

`3l), 3l. the valves' and their respective chambers is provideciby means couplers I4,

an angle of less a p lers are v w hoses I2:, `|3 until they coupling 38, 31, which screws into the outer end of the valve chamber, forming a closure therefor. The valve stems 34, 35'are provided with a pair of collars 38, 33, rigidly xed thereto intermediate the ends thereof. The ycollars 38, 38 serve as abutments for a pair of compression springs 40, 4I, which encircle the valve stems and react against the plugs 36, 31 4 and thus urge the poppet valves 32, 33 into receiving' engagementwththe valve seats 30, 3|,"res'pective1y. The" collars 38, 39 are xed tothe valve stems 34, 35 by meansof pins 42, 43, respectively, versely throughr aligned apertures-in the collars and valve stems and project radially outwardly lon each side of the collars 38, 39. The oppositel rends of the pins 42, 43 within helical grooves 44, 4 'walls of the cylindrical valve chambers I8, I3, respectively. Thus it is clear to thoseV Askilled inthe art that by virtue of the sliding action of the pins 42, 43 within the'grooves44, A45, a rotation of the' valves about Atheir major axeslwin, v,causethern to move axially within thevalve chambers, toward or away from the valve seats This relative angular movement between for holding the two valves 32, 33 against rotation with respectto each ,other when the couplers I4,

andl valves at pair of axially extending lugs y5l! extending in- .ward ly vfrom, the face of-thewalve 32 and adapt- .ed toengage a simi1ar pair, of lugs ,inwardly f romthe inner face of, the poppet valve 33. @ight yand left hand helices so that whenthe I5 are moved` angularlyin opposite directions to couple the same-together, the valves o 32,33 are moved outwardly in oppositedirections `f rorn. tl'le valve seats 33, 3lV against the-action of the coil springs 4l),v 4 I, respectively.

5 I extending The axial grooves'44, 45 are--inthe form of The two coupler cases I5, I1 are also locke together by virtue of therelative angular movement during the coupling operation, by means of a pair of radially/outwardly 4extending pins :52

t rigidly fixed-to the coupler-casing I1 by4 any'suitable means, such as by driving them tightly within a pair `of 'oppositely .disposed apertures 5,3 in the coupler casing I1.- The coupler casing I8 isoprovided withl an axially, extending flange 5.54, providing a socket to receive the couplerl casing-I1; in telescoping relation and the yflange 54, -is provided with a pair of helically extending slots 55 at diametrically opposite positions in the vharige and adapted to receivestheppins v52 and toiactas eamming meansk for drawing the two couplers `I4, I5 together when the latter are movedk angularlyrelative to each other through than 180 degrees and preferablyy in the order of about 45 degrees.

The two couplers |4, I5 are provided with'fa pair o f abuttingsurfaces 55,` 5l between'which ,is vclamped an annulargasket 58 of suitable sealing ,material-- to :insure that no leakage of fluid 'takesplace between the two couples when in cou- -pledrelation. -f f t Before the couplers are coupled together, the valves are held tightlyclosed by the` springs '48, 4I combined with any fluidv pressure whichmay be within the-valve chambers I8, I9. IvThe cou- `coupled together" by first twisting the pins 52 enter the are Vslidably received 5- disposed in the-:

I5 are moved angularly Vabout ,y the common axis of the couplers :the time' the couplers are connected andgdisconnected The valves areinterengagedby ;a

which extendftransni'ent, whereupon the angular movement between 10;

they valves-and the two cases I6, Il causes the valves to be moved axially away from the yseats 30, 3l in opposite directions, due to the camming action of the pins 42, 43 vin the slots 44, 45, re-

`spectively. Inasmuch as the4 axis of rotation of `:the couplers is disposed generally transversely relative to the line of advanceof the mobile units I0, I.I, .when `the latter tends to move apart the Icouplers are rotated in opposite directions by forces applied to the two hoses I2, "201r I3, and thus the couplers, causingthe latter to fall apart. The valvesl32, 33 are immediately closed by theactionfqf the springs 48, 4I to preuncoupling vent lossof iluid.

1 do not intona my invention to be united to l he exact details shown and described herein except as set y e forth in the claimswhicl'i follow. i v il. l

V1". Apparatus for releasabl'y *"conne'cting fluid "conduits on apair o'f coupled mobileunits, compris1ngfin combination, apairof ilexible hoses connected with and depending from said c'onduits, 'couplers attached tosaid'hoses'and havv'ing helical intereng'aging surfaces` adapted to draw said couplers together in fluid-tight lrelation whenthelatter are relatively movedv in coupling engagement through an angle' of appreci- :ablyy less thanf180 degrees and to automatically uncouple Vwhen said mobilejunits are separated "to'pull said hoses apart, means for sealing `the joint-between said couplers, a pair of valve'closuremembersrotatably disposed on a common in said couplers,respectively, said members being movable'into and `out of closed position for "interrupting-the flow'of fluid betweensaid cou- `plers 'and' having projections extending outy` wardly'frorn the, axis of ,rotation and jaws` adapted to interengage-jwhen said couplers' are vcoupled, said couplers" being provided with internal helical grooves adapted'to slidably 'receive said projections, wherebyrelative angular movement of said couplers with): said `valves interengaged rotates both valvesjiii said* grooves and moves bothvalves to open position. y

2J`Appara'tus for -freleasably connecting fluid conduits jon a' pair ofjqupled mobileunits", comprisng-in combination," a' pair of flexible hoses connectedfwithy andy depending'frorn said con- -duits'couplers attached'tosaidhoses and having helical interengagingfsurfac'es ladapted to draw *said couplers togetherin fluid-tight relation when.

fthe" latterf'fare` relatively moved in coupling engagernent'through an* angleof appreciably less than 180 degrees `anelito,automatically uncouple when 's'aidrnobile units i are yseparated to pull said hoses-apart,A r'naris for'fsealing thel jointl between said-l couplers,-a pair o`f` valve `closure members in said couplers,"respectively, said members being movableintol'and outfof'closed position for `in- `ztermi-)ti ng the ow'or fluid between said ,couplers and-having intorengageapio pai-ts to hold said '"valve 'members against relative angular 5 movement during relative angular coupling movement of said couplers, and'jcamming' means between f each 'of' said valvemembersV and 'its respective coupler =fo'r'mo'vingv thevalves out of closed 'p csition responsive to angular movement of each coupler relative to its corresponding valve member during coupling movement. l

3. Apparatus for releasably connecting uid conduits on a pair of coupled mobile units, comprising in combination, a pair of flexible hoses connected with and depending from said conduits, couplers attached to said hoses and ha* ing helical interengaging surfaces adapted to draw said couplers together in fluid-tight relation when the latter are relatively moved in coupling engagement through an angle of appreciably less than 180 degrees and to automatically uncouple When said mobile units are separated to pull said hoses apart, a p'oppet valve in each of said couplers', each valve being rotatably mountedv on the axis of angular coupling movement of said couplers and movable axially between open and closed positions,'said valves having interengageable parts .to hold` them .against relative rotation during relative angular coupling movement of said couplers, and camming meansr between eachv of said valves and its associated coupler for moving the valves axially to open position responsive kto angular movement of the couplers relative tothe valves during coupling movement.

` TALBERT W. PAUL. r 

